Overhead track.



H. 5. FERRES.

OVERHEAD TRACK.

APPLICATION FILED MM2. ma.

Patented July 2,

entran stradine retratar ernten.

HOWARD J. FERRI-S, 0F HARVARD, ILLINOIS, ASSGNOB. TQ HUNT. HELM, fc COMPANY, OF, HARVARD, ILLINQIS, A CGRIOBATIGN OF ILLINOIS.

OVERHEAD TRACK.

Learner.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2,1918.

Application led May 2, 1918. Serial No. 232,074.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD J. FERRIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harvard, in the county of McHenry and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Overhead rlracks, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in overhead tracks and is fully described and explained in the specication and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which f Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the essential features of my improved device; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan of the parts shown in Fig. 2; Fig. l is abottom plan with the bottom plate removed; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of' the right-hand end of the coupling member with the track shown in vertical section, the view being similar to the right-hand portion in Fig. 1 with this exception; and Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line 6.

Referring further to the drawings, 7 is a rigid track which, in the form here illustrated, has one flat wall, the edges being recurved at top and bottom to leave between them a slotted opposite wall. The end of this track fits over a reduced end 8 on the coupling member hereinafter described in greater detail. A nut 9 is laid in the slot of the track and thereby held against rotation and is engaged by a screw 10 passed through the end of the track whereby to hold the track firmly on the reduced end of the coupling member.

The coupling member is provided with a bracket 11 of substantial construction adapted to be secured to one of Jfhe beams of the building. Carried by this bracket, and preferably attached by bolts 12, is a plate 13 provided on one side with a rib 14 in line with the rigid track, the reduced end 8 being a shouldered extension of this rib, and the reduction being such that the upper surface of the rib and the rigid track fall in line. The .rib slants down at its forward' end at 15 and is hollowed out underneath so as to receive the end of a iexible track 16. preferably lower part of the rib 15 extends back throughout practically the whole length of the plate 13 and is then recurved to one side and back to the front in a horizontal plane of round rod. The groove in the so that the end of the flexible track may be bent into hook form and lie in the groove as shown in Fig. el.

The exible track is held in place within the kgroove in the plate of the coupling member by a bottom plate 17 of the form shown in Fig. 3, the bottom plate in the form here illustrated having upturned ears 18 to enage and depress the fingers which are provided upon certain types ol' litter carriers for the purposeofl safely holding the wheels upon the track. The present structure affords a peculiarly simple and desirable arrangement, whereby a rigid track may be combined with a flexible track in substantially the same line. The litter carrier running upon the flexible track rides up on the rib of the coupling member and thence to the rigid track, thus rising above the plane of the end of the rigid track which can be recurved underneath the level of the rigid track and of the rib, whereby to secure the firm support which is requisite in structures of this character.

I realize that considerable variation is possible in the details of this construction without departing from the spirit of my invention; therefore'I do not intend to limit myselfl to the specific form herein shown and described except as pointed out in the following claims, in which it is my intention to claim all the novelty inherent in the construction as broadly as is permitted by the state of the art.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination, a flexible track and a rigid track lying in the same vertical plane, and an intermediate coupling member having a rib connecting the flexible and rigid tracks and having a recess beneath the rib. the end of the flexible track being recurved laterally beneath the rib in a horizontal plane and held in said recess.

2. In combination, a flexible track and a rigid track in the same vertical plane, the rigid track being slightly above the flexible track, a coupling member having a rib running down from the rigid track to the flexi-v ble track, the end of the flexible track being brought in under the rib and recurved in a horizontal plane.

3. In combination, a flexible track and a rigid track in the same vertical plane, the rigid track being slightly above the flexible a coupling member having a track-Way connecting them, the free end of the flexible track being reourved to form a hook in a plane beneath said track-Way, whereby a carrier running from the flexible track to the rigid track passes above the recurved hook end of the fiexible track.

HOWARD J. FERRIS'.

track, means forming an inclined track-Way running down from the rigid track to the flexible track, and means in the horizontal plane of the flexible track and beneath said 5 track-Way for securing the end of the flexible track in position.

4. In combination, ak flexible track and a rigid track in the same' Vertical plane and Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing` the Commissioner of Patents,1

'Washingtom D. G. 

